The Good Fight: Making the Case for Intellectual Combat in the Military​From Andy Dziengeleski & John McRae, Modern War Institute: “One of the requirements of any profession is a capacity for growth, introspection, and reflection. In the military profession, this happens in several ways. At a personal level, members pursue intellectual development through self-study and periodic civilian and military schooling. At the unit level, leaders engage and are engaged by seniors in mentorship activities designed to cultivate knowledge and critical thinking skills.”​

How Cicero Molds a Virtuous Leader out of PlatoFrom Todd Hertling, Strategy Bridge: “If the military is to maintain its role as a trustworthy profession serving society, it does have to be exceptional.[6] Indeed, it should strive for moral excellence. But to address the ethics challenge, the military should move beyond the typical bureaucratic response. There can be no magic formula beyond self-improvement, education, and a commitment to duty as a guide. There are proposed training programs that may or may not be effective; however, it need not be more complicated than revisiting ancient thought. The overlap that exists between modern military values and the cardinal moral virtues of antiquity is powerful. Plato and Cicero, two of the greatest classical thinkers, offer prescient thoughts for preserving moral excellence.” ​

Reading, Thinking, and Writing on History, Strategy, Military, & Philosophy in 2016From Strategy Bridge: “Francis Bacon—the English author, lawyer, philosopher, scientist, and statesman—wrote in his essay Of Studies, "Reading maketh a full man; conference a ready man; and writing an exact man." Reading was the beginning of study for Bacon, and the reading he advised in the pursuit of knowledge ranged widely: histories for wisdom, poetry for wit, mathematics for subtlety, natural philosophy for depth, morality for gravity, and logic and rhetoric for persuasion. But we must also think, discuss, and write about those things we learn through reading.” ​